Study Suggests Red Dot Optics Improve Pistol Accuracy

There are few things shooters obsess over more than accuracy. Unfortunately, there are few shortcuts in developing tack-driving precision when behind the trigger. Or is there?

A recent study by James E. Ryan and Robin Adler suggests there might be one accessory that will tighten up a handgun shooter’s groups in a hurry – a red dot sight. The criminology professors at Vermont’s Norwich University came to this conclusion after running a comparative study between the optic and iron sights.

Ryan and Adler had 27 students shoot a four-stage pistol course (go to the study via SoliderSystems.net for a more detailed explanation of each stage) using a Glock 19 9mm on IDPA cardboard targets. The academics divided the targets into three zones: Zone 1 center mass, Zone 2 an octagon just outside center mass and Zone 3 the periphery of the target.

When everything was said and done, the students shooting with a red dot optic – a Trijicon Ruggedized Miniature Reflex sight – proved much more accurate.

While there was little overall difference in the two groups connecting with the target, those outfitted with the red dot had a higher percentage of shots drill Zone 1. From Ryan and Adler’s numbers, red dot shooters connect on center mass 58 percent of the time over the course, compared to 42 percent for iron sights.

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Shooters connecting with the eight-inch center circle more often with a red dot won’t come as a surprise in certain corners of the shooting world. Gabe Suarez, tactical instructor for Gunsite Academy, for instance, has become an advocate of the optic. And anybody that follows 3-Gun knows the accessory has been commonplace in the competitive circuits for some times now.

The reasons why red dots outperform their traditional counterparts are no mystery. As Ryan and Adler detail, the optics promote a slew of habits that make shots more efficient and accurate:

[A]n illuminated red dot might make shooting with both eyes open easier. This kind of aiming aids situational awareness and reduces ‘tunnel vision.’ Furthermore, a red dot can eliminate ‘eye sprint,’ the constant focusing and refocusing on the front sight, rear sight and target to get a properly aligned sight picture. A red dot allows the shooter to simply place the red dot on the target.

Whether your are a first-time handgun owner or an old pro looking to brush up your skills, the Ultimate Handbook of Handgun Training is for you. This digital download taps into the knowledge of some of Gun Digest’s top authors, taking you step-by-step through what it takes to handle a handgun with skill. In addition to the technical skills required to hit the mark, the mental aspects of handgun marksmanship are also covered in this comprehensive guide.

Elwood Shelton is an online content developer for Gun Digest. He is a gun owner and avid reloader from Colorado. When not at his press or the range he can be found chasing mule deer around the Rocky Mountains.

3 COMMENTS

The study did not state how many, if any, of the 27 students were already proficient shooters. I can see how a red dot would be much easier for a beginner. Personally, I am actually more accurate with iron sights as compared to a red dot and/or a laser.

If you need a red dot on your pistol for accuracy, you need a whole lot more shooting practice!!! The only “slew of habits” that a red dot on a pistol will promote are bad ones, I can see them used in a competition, but its a bad idea for people in general to become dependent on any aiming device like a red dot on a handgun other than the manufacturer provided sights to be proficient with a handgun.

Young shooters, shooters with good eyesight…why invest in anything beyond an iron sight if you are hitting the target fine. However, older shooters, failing eyesight, dwindling depth of field…that’s another story. Keep practicing after years of shooting…that can’t hurt, but how do you practice better eyesight? It’s difficult for us older folks to give in to the fact that we aren’t young anymore, don’t have the pristine eyesight anymore, and why the heck is my gun shaking when I shoot. Well, I can’t do much about the new lack of steadiness, but the red dot is definitely the answer to the depth of field problem. You younger folks will figure all this out in a few years. But remember, I didn’t say to stop practicing.